Homemade chili is an American Tradition that has a unique place in our history and in our present. The benefits of a good bowl of this brew can even take you back to the days when cowboys sat wherever they could to savor the creative work of the trail cook. The exact origin of chili is debatable, but likely in Texas in the early 1800s and its thought possibly associated will trail drives and the ingenuity of the trail cooks may have been shining to create this blend of meats and seasonings that branded its way in the American culinary history.

Chili takes on many forms and has evolved to meet many tastes and preferences of meat. It is likely that only beef and bison were used in the early forms of chili. The display of a great pot of chili in America can also give you some bragging rights and a ribbon as chili festivals and cook-offs has become the thing to do. The cross section of people that participate in cook-offs is pretty impressive. There really is something about a rich, thick steaming bowl of chili.

Chicken Chili Recipe

Ingredients

2lb white or dark meat chicken cubed into ½ inch chunks

2 cups Green tomatoes cut into ½ chunks (canned tomatoes can be substituted)

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves garlic

1 cans chicken broth

Optional 1 large Jalapeno pepper (or the heat of your choice)-finely diced

1/2 small red bell pepper diced

2 tablespoon ground Comino

1 teaspoon coarse ground white pepper (black pepper substitute)

2 tablespoon raw sugar

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 tablespoon flour

Fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat ½ of the oil in 4 quart saucepan

1 Brown onion, garlic and pepper lightly

2 Add flour and brown

3 Add 1 can broth to deglaze pan

4 Heat ½ oil in a skillet and brown chicken thoroughly

5 Combine with broth & simmer for 15 minutes on low heat

5 Add tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and seasonings, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.

6 garnish when done with chopped fresh cilantro

Serving suggestions

This dish will serve 4

Great served with pan bread, Cornbread, Fritos or Tortilla chips

When handling poultry be extra careful not to contaminate kitchen items and surfaces unless you disinfect them thoroughly. The moisture and blood from that tasty chicken can spread salmonella to any item or surface it contacts; also be careful not to contaminate any prepared foods with the liquids from raw meats and even some vegetables.Additionally poultry should always be cooked to 175% for safe consumption. Practicing food safety is not just for food handlers and restaurants. 1 in 194 Americans will likely get food poisoning of some sort each year and some 5000 die each year from food poisoning. This is a good article on Salmonella and food safety. Enjoy your food safely.

Ah Beef Chili

There is no substitute for good Beef Chili. Especially Wolf whatever its called. This recipe is a basic Beef chili recipe that has more prep but a lot more satisfaction than your garden variety.

Ingredients

2lb of 3/8 inch hand cubed beef (chuck or shoulder roast is perfect)-if you dont have a knife, get one cooking will be more rewarding the more you do yourself. Lean ground beef will work.

3 cups of diced cooked tomatoes

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves garlic

1 cans beef broth

Optional 1 large Jalapeno pepper (or the heat of your choice)-finely diced

Optional 1/2 small red bell pepper diced

2 tablespoon ground Cumin

4 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoon raw sugar (normally coarse Natural sugar) Brown sugar will substitute

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 tablespoon flour

Fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat ½ of the oil in 4 quart saucepan

1 Brown onion, garlic and pepper lightly

2 Add flour and brown

3 Add 1 can broth to deglaze pan

4 Heat ½ oil in a skillet and brown beef thoroughly

5 Combine with broth & simmer for 15 minutes on low heat

6 Skim excess fat that floats on top of liquid.

7 Add tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and seasonings, then simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until beef is tender and your brew reaches the desired consistency.

8 garnish when done with chopped fresh cilantro or chopped green onions

Serving suggestions

This dish will serve 4-6

Great served with pan bread, Cornbread, Frito's or Tortilla chips

Dig In.......